| This question <53|44> overall <42|44> Oak: <572|48>. graded A |
| Question 68: Is it a character flaw to be lazy in an exploitive system? |
| [43] Oak: Lazy exploiters? I'm starting by defining some terms in this question so all can understand my answer. |
| character flaw: an element in one's character that might harm or burden others. I'm going to leave out elements that only harm oneself. This is an element that one has control over, but chooses not to eliminate. |
| lazy: working or outputting less that one is capable of and expected to by others around oneself (society). This does not mean simply slower. This also does not mean exceptional workers moving at an average pace. |
| exploitive system: a system with loopholes that allows some to reap rewards that they didn't sow, or allows some to contribute lesser effort for the same rewards. |
| Based on these definitions, yes, it would be a character flaw to be lazy and reap rewards that one didn't put the effort in sowing. One would be getting other peoples rewards that they work hard for. In true capitalism this it not relevant. First slower laborers (whether lazy or unable) are not retained by employers. Second we don't want to measure the literal time it takes for an output or the concrete labor-time, but the abstract labor. This helps us find the magnitude of value. |
| I'm not sure (and I'd love a response on this) but from what I understand, the abstract labor would be the overall labor contributed from the pool of laborers including time, effort and other factors. Divide this by the number of items produced to get the magnitude of value for each item. Marx seems to be using less math and more philosophy, so I'm probably not correct in trying to quantify these terms. It seems to me that the individual is less important than the whole when it comes to the contribution of labor to exchange-value. |
| (Something still doesn't feel right in my answer; but out of inability, not laziness, I'm submitting my answer as is.) |
| Hans: Lots of deep thinking. It seems part of you is still thinking capitalism is a meritocracy (meaning that everybody gets what they deserve) with loopholes. Is this why you lost sleep over this submission? |
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